Experiment gone wrong
by Polka Cross
Summary: An experiment gone wrong ...Old tales begin to resurface ... Who can live with so much guilt on their shoulders ? SakuraxSasuke. Very first ff
1. Memories

Just some things I need to say :

I don't own Naruto or any of its characters. That privilege is accorded to Masashi Kishimoto and only to him.

I don't speak any Japanese at all ( though I would like to ), but I know some basic words.

This is my first fanfic, so constructive criticism is welcome ( no flames without a reason )!!! thx !!!!

* * *

_Darkness encircled the room. The heavy drips of water ... Or something else ...__ Screams of a thousand souls echoing from the walls ... And in the midst of it, a girl, grin etched on her face. _

Eyes fluttered open, revealing jade orbs stunned by the sudden light above them. The kunoichi blinked a few times, before turning her head, inspecting the room she was in. A hospital room. "What the ..." she muttered before the door slammed open.

"Good to have you back, Sakura," Tsunade exclaimed, smiling and visibly extremely pleased. Her smile could be seen a mile off and the nurses were silently preying thanks to the Lord so merciful. The Hogage had been in such a bad mood these last few months that anyone who dared stand up to her was sent to an early grave.

"Back ? What do you mean, back ? I haven't left the village for all I know," whispered the sixteen-year old. Sakura tried to recollect the past events, what had happened to make her arrive in a hospital room feeling so weak. Her eyes widened when no memories came to mind. The last thing she remembered was coming back from a mission with Naruto, Kakashi-sensei and Sai. After that, nothing. Just darkness. "No ... Please tell me this is not happening ..."

At the entrance of the room, Tsunade studied her student's behavior. _I was expecting something like that, but I had hoped that my results were false... _she thought.

"Sakura ... Let me be clear with this ... You went missing around six months ago, how or by who it is not exactly sure. Left overs of chemicals were found in your blood flow, leaving you unconscious for about a month. We got rid of that a few days ago, so there is nothing to worry about on that account ..." Tsunade hesitated, but from the look Sakura gave her, she continued, " What we also found was that your memories of the last six months have been blocked as well for you as for us. It seems to have been done manually," Tsunade explained, sharing every detail with her student, knowing she could be trusted and would want the truth anyway.

_A scar. A look. A smile. And guilt ... Guilt over washing all other feelings ..._

The pink-haired kunoichi tried to sit up at this point, hands clutching her head as she experienced these feelings. Her legs gave up on her though, no energy left to spare. She realized then how exhausted her body felt.

"Where was I found ?" Sakura managed to mutter. Tsunade was already by her side, checking to see if she was okay. "You were found not far away by an Anbu team. You were pretty beaten up and unconscious, but Sasuke brought you back home safely," the Hogage tried to say before Sakura cut in, forgetting her own fatigue.

"What ?! Sasuke ? Here ? But when ? How..." the kunoichi exclaimed, before being interrupted by Tsunade this time.

"Yes, it was Sasuke. He came back around a month after you disappeared, why he still won't tell. Itachi is still alive though I heard that Orochimaru has left from the circulation. You both looked so sweet together, he was carrying you bridal style when he practically broke the office door down,". Seeing the slow blush rising in her cheeks, Tsunade chuckled before revisiting that night one month ago.

_The Hogage was sitting at her desk, holding a glass of sake. Six months ... Six months since Sakura had disappeared, leaving no trail for her to be found. Many ninjas had been sent to find her, without avail. And in the middle of this, Sasuke had returned. After five months of probation, she had finally assigned him a mission with an Anbu team. Of all ninjas who could contain him if something went wrong, they would be the best._

_A noise suddenly reached her ears. Before she could do anything, her office door was nearly kicked off its hinges, and there stood a soaking raven-haired boy. Had it been raining outside ? Probably. But what caught her eye was the girl he was carrying in her arms. Cuts and bruises littered her body, and by the odd angle of her ankle and arm she could tell they were broken._

"_Oh my ... Sakura ! Bring her in quick !". Healing didn't take long,but for some reason the kunoichi did not want to wake up. Shizune was called, and Sakura was taken off to the emergencies. Only Sasuke and Tsunade stayed in the room._

"_Call me when she wakes up," was the boy's only sentence. And with that he left the office, closing the door behind him._

_Tsunade sat back down, overwhelmed with the events. She broke down in tears, relieved to see the kunoichi she considered her daughter. Soon after that she left, preparing to help the medics._

"I promised the others to call them when you woke up, but I think it better if they knew tomorrow. After all, it would be good if you could get some sleep during the night, and with them around I don't think you will be able to. Anyway, your check-up is finished so I'll be on my way" Tsunade was just about to leave the room when she heard Sakura mutter, "Tsunade ... Thank you,".

Tsunade turned around, her amber eyes soft. "No. Thank _you_ Sakura for coming back,". Tsunade left, shutting the door behind, as the pink-haired kunoichi struggled to stay awake. The battle was soon lost, and she let darkness engulf her.

_Crimson ... Why was everything so red ? Staining the walls, pooling on the ground ...Laughter could be heard resonating through the corridors ... Then ... Light. The figure of a dark-haired girl, scar slashed across one eye and continuing down her cheek, turned around, hand outstretched ..._

Sakura woke with a start, sweat glistening off her forehead, her breaths coming raggedly in short puffs of air. What she had seen in that dream ... Had happened.

_Crimson staining her hands ... Blood dripping off her fingers ..._

She clutched her arms, waiting, wanting the memory to go... When she finally lifted her face up, only one word, a name, was pronounced before she leaped out of the window, moonlight making her hair shimmer.

_Shanne ..._


	2. Criminal

Ahem ...

Thank you to Lumberry and MoiraCalhounx1377 for reviewing... Thanks !!!!

Let's repeat the repetitive sentence again : I do not own Naruto, that is for Masashi Kishimoto's pleasure only.

I kinda hope you're enjoying the story, but it's going to get a little bit more interesting ... If I'm in the mood ...

* * *

"What do you mean she's gone !?" an angry fist smashed the table, splintering the wood and making everyone in the room scared for their lives. Tsunade was mad. Mad at the Anbu ninjas who had let her pass. 

"When we saw her leave it was around 11pm, it was hard to see her face... And most ninjas leave during the night to not get watched by the enemy," was one's calm reply, completely ignorant about Tsunade's mood swings.

"And you didn't find it strange that she left without any baggage at all, let alone weapons or food ?" Tsunade sighed, " I dismiss you. Bring in Kakashi. And tell him not to be late !"

The masked man nodded and left without a word. Soon a knock was heard and the door opened, and the gray-haired man in question walked in. "Yo. What's up ?" he asked.

"Bad news is what's up. Sit down, I'm assigning you a mission with Team Seven, consisting of Naruto, Sai and Sasuke."

"Wait... What about Sakura ? Isn't she coming ?"

"This mission is about Sakura. A month ago she was found and brought to the hospital for, we imagine, probably traumatic experiences. Several scars and punctures in her skin had to be healed. She still doesn't know about those . The only possible explanation for the wounds would be ... experimenting. And the only village that allows that is ..."

"Sound," Kakashi finished the sentence for her. "So what do you want us to do ? Infiltrate the lab, find information ? And why is Sakura not coming ?"

"You're asking a lot of questions for once. I'll answer them. Sakura woke up yesterday, a bit tired but that was to be expected. I left her for the night without surveillance. It seems that was a mistake. My student left during the night. Some scars were left on her fore-arms, and being the medic that she is, no doubt she will have guessed and headed off to where it seems the most logical," Tsunade has closed her eyes at this point, not wanting to see the jounin's face.

But Kakashi had already gotten over the shock, and was wanting to know more. " Why did she leave ? Sakura may be a person who lives in the past but knowing her she would have stayed."

Tsunade threw a wanted poster on her desk, showing a young girl, perhaps in her late teens early twenties, her back to the photo, but turning her face so that it was barely visible. Two jagged scars ran down her naked back forming an X. Her hair was tied up, but her face was not distinguishable because of the strands escaping the ribbon.

"This is Shanne Crossback. Probably the most wanted of criminals in history. Some kind of legend. Rumors say that she killed all her people, family, friends. Destroyed millions of lives. They also say she can control a small portion of death. Barely known in this country as she has never come here. But all or nearly all countries have been subject to her killings. In all, a criminal that cannot be reached for the time being and should be tortured for eternity," Tsunade spat.

"May I ask what the hell this has to do with Sakura ?" Kakashi was getting more and more impatient. Every minute he lost was lessening his chance of seeing Sakura alive.

"The blood tests we carried out on her were quite disturbing. It seemed that someone's DNA had been mixed with her blood. After further investigation I found out it was Crossback's DNA. Now with the mission. I want you to retrieve Sakura, get her back to the village safely. But if you hear by any means that the murder girl is somewhere near, abandon the mission straight away and report. She's destroyed hundreds of villages and I don't want this one to be next in line. You may leave now.

The silver-haired jounin left the room, knowing well the reactions of his team.

* * *

"WHAT ?! SAKURA-CHAN LEFT ?!" cried an all too loud Naruto. Obviously upset, but sure he would bring her back. Kakashi was leaving the Shanne-girl out of this, and was definitely not telling his team about it. 

Sai had an expression on his face that was hard to decipher but could have been worry. Sasuke, for his part, was unnaturally stiff. His face was blank, but his insides were battling with unusual feelings.

"Naruto, being loud won't help anything. Sakura left yesterday night, heading probably for Sound. It will take her approximately three days, maybe four since she's tired. We will split up once arrived in the woods, making the journey faster. In case of trouble shoot chakra fire-works into the sky. Sasuke, since you know Sound best, I want you, if we haven't found her yet, to go to the experiments room. We will meet you there. Understood ? Let's go."

The ninjas all jumped off in a different direction, hiding themselves in the leaves. The moon was high then, and night birds sang oblivious the actions taken earlier.

* * *

Water splashed against her face, waking her up for the third time that day. The rosette looked at her reflection. Surprisingly enough she had no dark rings around her jade eyes. The color had darkened throughout the last month, and had become a more moss color. Her face had matured, no longer childish, as her pink hair framed it. She had kept it short, but it was now lighter, and the color had become an also darker taint. 

She sighed, knowing she shouldn't have done this. But she felt wrong. Those memories ...Were they really hers ? Did she kill many people ? She had seen the scars on her fore-arms, and knew what it meant. The only place were she could receive answers was Sound. And maybe also answers about the girl.

And in all of this, the return of the Uchiha. It was not the best time for him to return. She had expected for him to come back one sunny day, and she would have rushed in his arms...

She shook her head. These day-dreams were not going to happen. The kunoichi sighed, shook her head once again, and got up, preparing to leave. She was tired but had to go on, to find answers ... No matter how she got them. She sprinted off, soon just a blur.

She didn't notice the sizzled patch of grass where she had sat, burnt to black.


	3. Crows and blood ?

Oh well ... Here goes the third chapter ...

Thanks to all who take the time of reading it and reviewers !!!!!

But first : I do not own Naruto or any of its characters. Only Masashi Kishimoto can claim that.

* * *

_Faces were looking at her, smiling and laughing. She knew these people yet... She couldn't recall their names, or even their faces... And then, nothing. Other people are coming, but not laughing the way the others are ... Who are they, what do they want ? She doesn't know them... The leader ... seems familiar. Nothing else... Apart from blood on her hands and lifeless eyes, laughing smiles. Did she do that ? Did she cause this massacre ? More laughter, then everything turns black._

Sakura woke up, sweating and panting, tears already forming in her eyes. She had fallen asleep beside a pool of clear water, getting the rest her body had craved for hours now. But memories haunted her dreams, twisting and turning them until she didn't know which one was reality and which ones were just nightmares. But those smiling faces ... Their bodies lay intact, sightless eyes open as if in surprise. All around them was darkness.

The other bodies though ... Were surrounded with light, yet butchered and barely recognizable. Those were the ones that had arrived later, laughing cruelly and pointing at something ... her.

The kunoichi wrapped her arms around herself, trying to keep the vivid images at bay though not succeeding. Her head lowered, shame and guilt visible through her bangs. The forest seemed to encircle her, etched in mysteriousness and darkness, suffocating her. She broke down, let out a small whimper, then threw her head back and screamed, tears tracing down her cheeks.

Birds flew away in surprise, the crows wailing in return. Crows in this forest of death, what a surprise.

Slowly the screaming subsidized into a muffled scream, then quiet whimpers. Sakura let her tears out freely, not ashamed of them but of what she had done. The drops fell on the grass, burning and killing it. She didn't notice though. Her vision was very much reduced, yet it seemed she did hear a faint sizzling sound and vapor rising off the ground. She ignored it though and put her hands to her face.

* * *

Sasuke turned his head sharply, hearing a wail in the distance. It sounded as if someone was hurt badly, and the raven-haired boy felt a shiver in his spine. The scream was human but in a twisted sort of way, as if it was turning slowly and painfully into some kind of animal. The thoughts of strange creatures suddenly haunted his mind. His mother would always make fun of his childish fears, and he felt as if she was still laughing in his ear.

There were things much worse, she had told him one day. A legend of a person, neither dead nor alive,at the service of death herself. It would kill people with her order, until that someday someone would release it. The story was just a myth, but little Sasuke had been afraid for a long time that the ghoul or soulless person would come to take him away too.

He sighed, running a hand through his hair. He didn't believe in those childish tales anymore. They were just invented to scare little children into obedience. And they did work. But with Kabuto's twisted experiments, there was nothing he didn't believe in anymore. He was a twisted man anyway. When they discovered Orochimaru's battered and barely recognizable body, he had just smiled and kept muttering to himself. Then tried to get Sound's leadership. Seeing as he had been the snake sannin's first assistant, the title came to him naturally.

Sasuke was pissed though. That nearly blind worthless piece of sick material, leader ? He couldn't believe it. So he left, just like that. His goal had been to reenter Konoha, find the secret parchments, then leave again, traveling to get stronger. That had been his idea at first. But seeing Naruto and all the others was like finding a long lost family. A family he would have to leave again sooner or later ...

He shook his head, closing his dark eyes for a brief moment before reopening them in new-found determination. He looked up at the sky, at the crows circling and flying overhead, crying in their rough voices. The moon was not present that night, casting eerie glows on the leaves, ruffled by the small breeze. The shadows moved continuously, as if on their own accord. One of the birds screeched, cutting the night's new found calmness.

Sasuke shook his head, wondering if it was safe to follow the animal like wail. He decided for it, knowing it might be her. He sprinted off, erasing all last thoughts except one, _Wait for me. Where ever you are._ The boy was soon not visible anymore, and the birds started settling on branches down below, eyes keen to detect any dead prey, or sense blood.

* * *

Kakashi had also heard the wail, and debated whether following the sound or not. Soon after he felt Sasuke's unhidden presence moving towards the shout. It would take him an hour to arrive at the scene, and by that time the thing, or Sakura, was likely to be gone. The jounin decided not to go.

Movement caught his eye. He breathed out carefully through his nose, careful not to move suddenly. He looked around. Crows encircled him, resting on branches above, leaving no escape route. These birds, in so large numbers, could easily kill a man, even a powerful ninja. The birds were here for blood, for prey. He would have to wait till daytime to move again when the birds would have left, sick of waiting. Hopefully they would leave even before that.

As he directed his gaze on the ground below him he asked himself why the birds were grouping in so large numbers. The answer was obvious. The crows knew when blood was to spill. A massacre was soon to happen. He was intrigued in something else at that time though. His fingers were circling the soil and grass. One patch, just one small patch in the middle of overgrown and visibly healthy vegetation, was dead. No poison used, no fire. Just a dead patch of grass next to a pool of water.

He looked up at the unusually dark sky. Sakura would be just a few hours away from Sound. He looked once again around him, wondering what would be the cause to the massacre and wishing his Sharingan could see into the futur.


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N** : Well this the fourth chapter of Experiment gone wrong. I hadn't updated for a while because I had no courage to do so and my other fiction was proving to be more popular. But thanks to Coral888 I decided I would continue on.

**Disclaimer** : I do not own Naruto, nor Sakura and Sasuke, or any other characters.

* * *

She was there, finally there. In front of Sakura were the massive doors that protected the hidden village of Sound. For an instant she wondered why there wasn't any security, but brushed it off. Konoha didn't have any guards at the exterior of the village at this hour either.

Sound ... The village where one of the legendary nins lived ... Or once lived ... The village that conducted twisted experiments on innocent people. And also the village Sasuke found refuge in when he left Konoha for power. And now she stood there, right in front of the gates, but this time in search of answers. She knew that she had done something wrong, but what ?

Suddenly the rosette heard a bush rustling behind her. Before she could move, her arms were twisted behind her in a harsh way. Sakura didn't utter a word as the grasp on her wrist tightened, or when she felt the bone break. Showing the weakness to the enemy was not a good idea. She could feel the man's hot breath on her ear when he talked to her. "Now missy, you know that not hiding your chakra is a mistake, especially when it's quite strong. What do you want here ?"

"I want to see Orochimaru, or Kabuto if the snake is absent." Sakura's voice was straight and emotionless, as was her face. She didn't know how she did this, the normal her would be shaking in fear at this time. The man's grip loosened a bit, and the rosette could feel hot blood seeping from the wound.

"Well, missy, Orochimaru is dead for your information, and we're still looking for the bastard who butchered his body. But I'm sure Kabuto will agree to your visit at this time of night. After all, it isn't every day that a girl with pink hair finds the village, then asks to talk to the leader, knowing well that she'll get tortured for information. Anyway, let's go." The man the let out a hollow whistle that sounded like a nightingale's cry. At once, three men appeared from the top of the gate, and the doors started to open.

What Sakura saw did not appear to be a village. As the guards walked her down the streets, she couldn't help but notice the misery that hung on the houses like a stench. Nothing could be heard, and the apartments were battered, some with their windows broken. The cobbled path on which they walked was dirty, the stones slowly crumbling beneath their feet.

After a few minutes of torturous walking, twisting and turning so that the rosette would not find her way out if by any chance she did escape, Sakura and her escorts arrived in front of an imposing building. More modern and more resistant than the others, it stood out like a thorn in the middle of roses. Yet this phrase did not seem entirely fitting as it just looked like a bigger thorn in the middle of smaller thorns.

The man stopped, and released her wrists. The rosette had already forgotten the pain as new memories resurfaced in her mind.

_Why did they treat her like this ? She could feel the cold wall digging into to her back, the chains rubbing against her ankles in an iron grip. She felt weak as blood trickled from her unhealed wounds, but so strong at the same time. So strong... What had they done to her ? Suddenly, a voice in her ear. She can't hear, but strains to listen. Run... It's telling her to run._

_She does just that. The chains fall in a pool at her feet, and she walks down the corridors. Men are running away from her, screaming ... But she feels no pity, no emotions... Blood is staining her hands, yet she feels so powerful..._

Sakura gasped for air as her knees buckled under her. She could see the man's mouth moving, yelling at her her to get up, but she couldn't hear him. Her attention was directed to something else. The heavy metal doors were slowly opening, revealing dark chambers lit with fire-light. Sakura stood in front of the opening, her emotionless face back on. Finally she would receive her answers, however disturbing they may be. She thought back to the girl etched in her mind. She seemed familiar, almost ... sister-like. That was impossible though. She had pink hair green eyes while the other had black hair gray eyes... But the girl known as Shanne was linked to this somehow ...

Sakura took a deep breath, as if to calm her nerves, to prepare herself for what may come. With a sure pace, she stepped inside, the men at her heels, the doors closing slowly behind.

* * *

Sasuke had himself just arrived at the gates of Sound. His onyx eyes lingered across the heavy walls, searching for the breach he had found so many years ago. But hiding in a bush at the same time was quite difficult. He leaped on to a branch over him, and surprisingly did not catch any attention from the guards. _She must already have arrived..._ he thought to himself. He could still remember the path to the main head-quarters. And the rosette must have been caught, or she would still be in the trees somewhere. He could not feel her chakra though, a stronger one than he had left her with.

The quicker the mission, the better. He did not want to play prince charming coming to save the beautiful princess at the top of the tower. This was not a scene for romantic comedies. And why couldn't they choose someone else than him ? He shook his head, clearly knowing the answer. _You're the only one who knows the way to Sound..._

Hopefully he was going to find Sakura, bring her back whether she wanted or not and finish the mission. But right now he had to focus on the present. This mission was going to make him stronger, and that was all that counted. The teenager jumped down from his hiding place and slowly entered the hole in the wall without being noticed. He just hoped she wouldn't be dead by the time he arrived.


End file.
